Topic: Crystal Glass Industries - something of a conundrum

[David E]

Although the 'Swirl' and 'Lace' patterns make it look like these napkin holders are made by Chance Brothers, this is not the case as the label on the side clearly states it as being manufactured by Crystal Glass Industries, German Democratic Republic (formerly East Germany). That's fair enough, as we know that there are several items that have derived from VEB Glaswerk Olbernhau, in the GDR.

However, on deciding to rootle about for more information I then came across the following items on eBay. The same label, with the same motif, the only difference is that the country of manufacture is given variously as "Made In" Yugoslavia, Hungary, Australia and Taiwan! 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313&_nkw=Crystal+Glass+Industries+&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Note that the company is sometimes called Crystal Clear Inustries, just to confuse the issue further.

These items appear to date before 1990 (prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall) but what exactly is going on? Are they "Made in" these countries, or simply farmed from one country to the others with different labels, so that people think they are buying local goods?

Ivo gives the following useful information:

I would think GDR is the more likely provenance of chancy slump stuff. The glass works in YU were few - Paracin in Serbia used to be the largest one (taken over by the Bulgarians 5 years ago) and the factory in Zagreb, Croatia and the crystal works in Slovenia were the three I know of.

But any further help in solving this conundrum would be most welcome.

[Lustrousstone]

Crystal Clear Industries could just be a retailer/brand name like Irice, as this site seems to indicate http://www.crystalwarehousesale.com/html/about.php?selected=1. I thought we had a manufacturer for the napkin holders.

[Fuhrman Glass]

as I recall, Crystal Clear is an importer based in NY. They have glass produced by factories all over the world over the last 30-40 years.

[Fuhrman Glass]

They have a permanent showroom in NY and have exhibited at most of the gift shows for the last 40years. They also market under Fifth Avenue Crystal. Hard to tell how many factories they have had making items for them and how many different countries.

[David E]

Many thanks, that does make sense as most of the items seem to appear in the US.